Missing Gainesville dementia patient found alive in woods, police say

Police, volunteers had been searching for 66-year-old Walcott Decastro Sr.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A man with dementia reported missing last Wednesday was found alive in the woods Tuesday, Gainesville police announced.

Walcott DeCastro, Sr., 66, had last been seen leaving his house on SE 17th Terrace, police said. 

Officers searched areas that DeCastro was known to frequent with no results. And detectives and volunteers gathered Tuesday morning to search the woods. 

He was found about 10:30 a.m. a few hundred yards south of his home, near the intersection of SE 6th Ave and SE 17th Terrace, police said. He is alive but dehydrated. 

"Based on his state, investigators believe he may have traversed the large wooded area near where he was found for the past few days, and may have even ventured out at times to get food," Officer Ben Tobias said. "GPD would like to thank the volunteers who saw the case on our social media and offered to help without even personally knowing Mr. DeCastro. People like you make us proud to work for this community."

Tobias said the volunteers were Sarah Graham, Virginia McKoy, Katrina Wooten, Jesse Wooten, baby Oscar Wooten and Gail Robinson.


About the Author:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.